<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12pt"><DIV>I think this is all relative. I mean what is viewed as a lack or a disability depends on expectations, preferences, and context. I'm sure we're all aware how this has changed in terms of medicine and health just over the last century or so. This has led to changes in expectations, preferences, and the overall context. For instance, what's expected of and preferred by someone who's 60 now is a lot different than what was expected 20, 50, or 100 years ago. I think one might view the average 60 year old of 100 years ago -- someone who might have expected to be in that condition and realigned her preferences accordingly -- as a person with many disabilities and who could and should be made better off (surely, not magically changed into a 20 year old) in terms of physical and mental capabilities
and might even be expected to do much better now.</DIV>
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<DIV>And I don't think a change in nomenclature will fix this, though, I suspect, it might raise consciousness.</DIV>
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<DIV>I think, also, the terms used will change over time as what's viewed as appriopriate changes -- partly because what's a euphemism or a dysphemism changes -- over time or depending on the social context.</DIV>
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<DIV>I would also quibble with "obligation" as that connotes a claim upon someone to do something. And I only think such claims come up with consent and never without it. This doesn't mean no moral judgment follows. One might judge someone to be immoral, for instance, because of her behavior, but still not believe she has an obligation -- as in something enforceable -- to behave otherwise. This really comes down to separating justice claims from the rest of morality.</DIV>
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<DIV>Regards,</DIV>
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<DIV>Dan<BR></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif"><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">From:</SPAN></B> Natasha Vita-More <natasha@natasha.cc><BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> ExI chat list <extropy-chat@lists.extropy.org><BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Tue, October 12, 2010 1:11:10 PM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> Re: [ExI] TransDisabled [WAS:Transhumanist Declaration]<BR></FONT><BR>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=979290717-12102010><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>I don't think any of us with disabilities favor the term "disabled".</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=979290717-12102010><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=979290717-12102010><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>But I look at it this way: as long as we are human, we disabled by the inability to overcome disease. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=979290717-12102010><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=979290717-12102010><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Is there a better term?</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: #404040; FONT-FAMILY: 'Freestyle Script'"><A href="http://www.natasha.cc/" target=_blank rel=nofollow><SPAN style="COLOR: #404040"><FONT face=Arial size=2>Natasha Vita-More</FONT></SPAN></A></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> extropy-chat-bounces@lists.extropy.org [mailto:extropy-chat-bounces@lists.extropy.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>ablainey@aol.com<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, October 12, 2010 4:24 AM<BR><B>To:</B> extropy-chat@lists.extropy.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [ExI] TransDisabled [WAS:Transhumanist Declaration]<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
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<DIV>Sorry no good links (Coming soon). <BR>Likewise I see it as an act of kindness, empathy and basic humanity and that was really what I meant by 'moral obligation'. I am trying to square up my own direction as I have real problems working on projects that might elevate the able bodied further above those with disability. Thinking about having superhuman senses, abilities and life span while others suffer to have 'normal' levels of the aforementioned makes my heart sink.<BR>I hate most of the terminology relating to disabled people, even the term disabled seems derogatory. I fully agree we all have disabilities, I myself am colour blind, dyslexic, have arthritis, shot knees and a herniated disk and that's before the myriad of mental oddities ;o)<BR><BR>Just a crisis of conscience making me re-evaluate things.<BR><BR>A</DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: arial, helvetica">-----Original Message-----<BR>From: Natasha Vita-More <natasha@natasha.cc><BR>To: 'ExI chat list' <extropy-chat@lists.extropy.org><BR>Sent: Sat, 9 Oct 2010 15:05<BR>Subject: Re: [ExI] Transhumanist Declaration<BR><BR>
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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=531534913-09102010><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Do you have a link to the work you have been doing? </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=531534913-09102010></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=531534913-09102010><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>People with disabilities are not subhuman, they are human. We all have disabilities to some degree and unfortunately some people have them to a large degree.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=531534913-09102010></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=531534913-09102010><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>I do not think we have a moral obligation to improve the disabilities of humans before a transhuman, posthuman or upload (TPU)obtains radical prolongevity. </FONT></SPAN><SPAN class=531534913-09102010><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Those with disabilities who are unable to make the distinction concerning enhancement ought to be protected by a right to have their disabilities cured to a human level and then they can make their own choices about TPU. </FONT></SPAN><SPAN class=531534913-09102010><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>I consider this action to be a "humane act of awareness/consciousness/kindness to other people" rather than a "moral obligation". </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=531534913-09102010></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=531534913-09102010><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>best,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=531534913-09102010><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>N</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: rgb(64,64,64); FONT-FAMILY: 'Freestyle Script'"><A href="http://www.natasha.cc/" target=_blank rel=nofollow><SPAN style="COLOR: rgb(64,64,64)"><FONT face=Arial size=2>Natasha Vita-More</FONT></SPAN></A></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
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